With the production of "Bruce Almighty" approaching the finish line, the usual lineup question becomes pertinent again. It has been previously reported that "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" would follow "Bruce", with a start date frequently mentioned as being set to January.

If this date was to be maintained, there wouldn't be much of a vacation for Mr. Carrey, but the back-to-back scheduling has happened in other occasions. However, another project is being said to have been added to this already complex scenario: "A Series of Unfortunate Events", based on the children's books, penned by Daniel Handler, a.k.a., Lemony Snicket.

The movie, currently in pre-production, will be helmed by Barry Sonnenfeld for Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Films. Scott Rudin, which previously worked with Carrey in "The Truman Show", is the producer. The screenplay was assigned to the very capable hands of Mr. Snicket himself.

For those not familiar with the nine-book series, the plot revolves around Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, three young orphans, who find themselves continuously mixed up with a series of unusual characters, including the narrator, Lemony Snicket. The recurring villain is Count Olaf, a distant family relative, who initially takes in the orphans but with the concealed dastardly intent of robbing them from a family inheritance. This character is, of course, the one Jim Carrey is reportedly interested on.

Handler, 32-year-old, published the first title of the series in 1999, and Paramount along with Nickelodeon, had already secured the screen rights since 2000.

In an interview to Newsweek, Handler, while talking about the upcoming movie, clarifyed that it will encompass the first three books of the series, which the producers are hoping to turn into another profitable franchise as "Harry Potter".

In another noteworthy remark, when asked about his casting choice for Count Olaf, the role now said to be taken by Carrey, Handler replied that "I think Boris Karloff would be great, but he's dead," adding also that it's "a matter of looking for someone who can be wicked and ridiculous at the same time." Conditions fulfilled, Mr. Handler, and you can also add "funny" to that.

According to some comments from Nickelodeon executives, the movie is expected to be costly, being set in an unorthodox retro-contemporary world in which horse carriages can be seen cruising the streets alongside motorcycles. Other adjectives used included "pop Gothic", "gleefully morbid," and producer Scott Rudin defends that it has the "kind of wickedness," and "mischievousness and darkness" that older audiences can relate to.

-- Source: USA Today, Variety, and Newsweek. With many thanks to JCO Correspondent Grinchy Steve for sending the news a couple centuries ago, and also to Nancy Latimer. Click to comment this article.